ERIC, founder
As a little boy, I grew up with animals, fruit trees and a vegetable garden. Back then, I often put pips of fruit in the ground, but never saw a tree grow out of it.
When I was eight, we had to move, after a fire. For me, this meant a new environment, a new language.
I have often felt uprooted.
Little Eric is at this place in Portugal in his familiar habitat, a small village with lots of nature. Here I planted back trees, lots of trees...started a vegetable garden and installed a greenhouse....
What if you remembered what to do? Gonna plant a FUTURE I will never see. The future is the GARDEN OF THE PAST. These are not my own words, but from the Bengsons (song ‘The Garden’):
I started my career with a multinational company, successful and also groundbreaking. Then I dared to become self-employed, to change. Learning to let go, especially after some trials, to live a more spiritual life, away from materialism. Living in a community full of abundance, and also letting go of this to go out into the wider world and help others with my own experience.
Everywhere I went, there was a big obstacle to being fully authentic and living together in Heart Consciousness. When there were major interpersonal disagreements with the owner of a place, the owners kept brandishing the same stick: I'm the owner and the energy “my will is law” was always used as an ultimatum... out of powerlessness.
From my own experience, I put my vision on paper (the 7 pillars), with the first pillar, no ownership, being received beautifully by very many. But to take the step of concretising a living community without ownership themselves, that proved a mental stumbling block for all.
The impetus to lead by example itself was the creation of Associacào Land Belongs to Mother Earth.
My goal is to live a life from my authenticity, drawing on my life experiences and talents. My unquenchable motivation is my three daughters, to encourage them to also live their lives in full authenticity and strength. As a father, I don't want to convince them in theory, but rather set the example to be authentic to yourself first and foremost and be an inspiration to others. I am grateful to my parents, the mother of my daughters, my previous partners, friends and also the not-so-good friends, because without you, I would not be where I am today... in paradise!
Together with my life partner, we continue to sculpt to further shine our Sacred authenticity. She is my rock, support and anchor.
JOËLLE, co-founder
50 years, mother of 1 daughter
Interests: self-sufficient living, singing, artistic work with natural materials, bodywork (dancing, singing, yoga, massages, etc.), shadow work (women's circles, self-development, authentic communication, etc.).
Gardening is for me a pleasant way to eat delicious, healthy and cheap food: diverse and cracking fresh! Thanks to gardening according to permaculture principles, you apparently obtain plants that are even richer in nutrients than organic. This is because you enrich soil life and biodiversity. It is much less labour-intensive and also more productive than traditional gardening methods. Great right?
Gardenin' regularly, surrounded by all that beauty, makes me really happy! Much more than having to go to the shop. What's more, all these veggies, fruits, herbs, nuts, flowers, and eggs from the garden don't need to be packaged and transported: it couldn't be more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
When I first heard about permaculture some 15 years ago, it felt like coming home. The values around ecology, health and freedom, which I had inherited from home and which usually made me feel like an outsider, took on a valuable place.
For me, ecology and health are the 2 pillars I am the most engaged with in this life.
Thanks to permaculture vegetable gardening and wild harvesting since 2015, I have become self-sufficient in fruit, vegetables, eggs, mushrooms and nuts (even in Belgium with a 200m2 garden), after years of struggling with other methods. Permaculture gardening really works!
From 2019 onwards, I felt the time was right to share my knowledge and experience on this subject with others beyond my friends and family, on a larger scale. I am doing this with great pleasure in the form of courses, workshops, lectures, garden consultations and garden designs.
Over a period of five years, more than 100 students have taken my practical year-long course in permaculture gardening (in both Dutch and French) to learn how to create their own low-maintenance, climate- and pest-resistant vegetable gardens with abundant harvests.
In this way, I contribute to the application of the three ethical principles of permaculture:
In Portugal ga ik met nieuwsgierigheid en verwondering de uitdaging van een verschillend klimaat aan. In het project Land belongs to Mother Earth kan ik helemaal aarden. En met Eric aan m’n zijde ben ik gezegend en voel ik me compleet.
My background:
My sources of inspiration:
There is currently room for additional residents.
Do you feel like this is your calling? Seize this unique opportunity and let us know!
